This invention relates generally to a method for producing frozen confections such as soft ice cream or the like.
In general, the method of the present invention is for use by soft ice cream vendors and sandwich shoppes for freezing mix used to fill cups with soft ice cream, the portions of the ice cream being released from the dispensing valve of the machine immediately prior to serving the customer.
In practicing these methods, dispensing machines are used which include a storage cabinet for one or more pressurized mix tanks which are filled with a liquid mixture supplied by the dairy. Methods of this type further employ a freezing chamber to which the mix delivered from the previously mentioned tank and wherein the mix is further chilled to stiffen its consistency to a soft ice cream state.
The soft ice cream is released from the freezing chamber by means of a draw-off or dispensing valve which is operated by the vendor to dispense servings of frozen mix to the cone or cup in controlled amounts.
In practicing prior methods a problem has been present in the art in that the storage containers for the mix which are supplied to the vendor by the dairy, require return to the dairy, after use, for sterilization and refilling. Also, it has been necessary for the vendor to go through a shaking operation, requiring special shaking apparatus, for each of the mix tanks prior to installing the tank in the soft ice cream machine, if he wishes to refill the tank himself.
Another disadvantage has been inherent in methods of the prior art in that it has been necessary for vendors to go through a special charging operation with respect to the new mix tank prior to installation of the same in the machine. The purpose of such charging operation was to add a "freon food propellant", known as Freon 115 and N.sub.2 O to each of the tanks prior to installing same in the machine to insure the proper overrun in the mix.